Underground Rounds

Underground Rounds is a filmed series of round tables with Black women, facilitated by Bella BAHHS. Curated conversations exploring Black women’s unique relationships to mass incarceration will be hosted at a different location every other Thursday in November (2nd, 16th & 30th) in an intentional effort to highlight Black and allied owned/operated businesses across Chicago.

Conducted by millennial Black women, Underground Rounds reimagines Harriet’s Underground Railroad as an urban network of brave spaces to discuss and dismantle unnecessary—often imaginary—barriers between Black women and their communities. Round tables will be taped in front of a live audience of invited guests. Amplifying Sister Survivor's practice of seditious compassion in the face of America's addiction to incarceration and violence, the series exemplifies creative and covert grassroots organizing.

“You don’t have to be talking to Oprah Winfrey at Harpo Studios to be having an important ass conversation,” says Bella BAHHS, who characterizes the series as “the hood’s first, traveling talk show.” Unlike any show on Winfrey’s network, Underground Rounds features local Black women DJs, chefs, vendors and performing artists at each pop-up.

Bella BAHHS and the Sister Survivor Network present “CNN: Control the Narrative November,” this fall with the kickoff of Underground Rounds.

Last November, 94 percent of Black women voted against Donald Trump and his fascist administration. This November, CNN is presented as a month-long reclamation of time and space to center Black women’s experiences and expertise. This month's roundtables will explore:

August 13 – September 17, 2016Friday, Saturday, and Monday nights at 8PMSunday nights at 7PM

In academia’s hallowed halls, five women debate millennial feminism when gunshots shatter the safety of their discourse. As tweets stream across the campus feed, the body count grows. And then the shooter enters the classroom. At the intersection of gun violence and slacktivism, in a #yesallwomen world, what is the real cost of revolution?

The all female cast features Oracle Company Member DeChantel Kosmatka, who is joined by Bella Bahhs, Melissa Duprey, Karen Rodriguez, Aurora Adachi-Winter, Isa Arciniegas, Heather Chrisler, and understudies Quenna Lené, Deanalís Resto, and Adia Alli (recent credit: THE HAIRY APE).

Bella Bahhs is working with the Chicago Park District to provide our youth with recreational autonomy and help them reclaim their neighborhood parks as sites for their creative growth and development ‪#‎TeensInthePark‬‪#‎TIPFest‬.

As Chicago Public Schools get out for the summer, Black students are getting “ free “ for a few months. “ Free “ from a system that has shown time and time again that they don't care about Black students and their lives. We know that these students and the communities they live in are not free, they live in a world that is corrupt and anti-Black. We know that these are the same students that may not have a school to go to in the Fall. They aren’t free and we aren’t free.

Join the #LetUsBreathe Collective in congratulating these students on making it through a corrupt system and celebrating the communities that continue to survive even when the world doesn't care about them. We will meet in Douglas Park, where Officer Dante Servin confronted Rekia Boyd and murdered her with impunity. We will engage community members about the system of oppressions that we all face, with a highlight on the school to prison pipeline. We will create and/or share art that represents freedom to us. We will have free food, clothes, and resources for all of us. Come through!

Black Sex Matters explores how pleasure shapes visions of liberation and how artists and activists navigate sensuality in social justice spaces. Black Sex Matters launched an event series celebrating sex-positivity and erotic joy where all tickets, bar sales, and merchandise go to support the production budget of good friday, a play that explores millennial feminism & the intersection of gun violence and sexual violence, which is being produced for public access theater at Oracle. Oracle offers all of its shows for free and is committed to making high quality art accessible to all.

Lovers, artists, & activists have 4 minutes to share true stories of sensual joy in any oral medium: spoken word, rap, song, or storytelling. Five judges score them 0 to 10. The top 4-6 scorers go on to the second round to compete in a lightning haiku round. The winner gets $100. Black Sex Matters features a DJ, cocktails, live painting, and other featured performers.

Start off Summer 16' with us at the Culture Gallery (Social Sip & Shop) featuring creative artists, musicians, designers and more. There will be good music, complimentary drinks, gift bags, and creative people to build with. Collections from Tawia Designs, Different Strokes, Gloryus and more.

Summer is just around the corner and Literature for All of Us is celebrating with our annual Poetry Bash! Join us in the Newhart Theater in the Mundelein Building at Loyola University on Wednesday, June 8th or Thursday, June 9th from 10:30am - 12:30pm to celebrate the voices and stories of our incredible students. We can't wait to see you there!